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Here’s who we think will best represent Halton

By Canadian Champion Editorial

Editorial
Oct 08, 2008

Large Medium Small Print This Article Tell a friend For almost as long as elections and the printed word have co-existed, newspapers have offered their choice of leaders in local, provincial and federal offices.
The purpose of such an exercise isn’t necessarily to sway your vote, but to hopefully make people think about the importance of casting a ballot and to encourage everyone to get out and exercise the right our forefathers fought — and died — to preserve for all Canadians.

In reaching our decision we looked not only at the local candidates, but also at their respective party leaders and at the reality of the world in which we are living.

In the Halton Riding, voters have the choice between Liberal incumbent Garth Turner, Conservative Lisa Raitt, the NDP’s Robert Wagner, Green candidate Amy Collard and Tony Rodrigues of the Christian Heritage Party.

Here at the Canadian Champion, we have decided to back a newcomer to the local political scene. She represents the Conservative Party of Canada.

At the local level, we feel Raitt brings invaluable experience as CEO and president of the Toronto Port Authority to a job that will see her focusing on Halton’s woefully underfunded infrastructure needs.

We also support Raitt because she represents the party that seems best equipped to lead Canada through the uncertainty of the current economic crisis south of the border, through the conclusion of Canada’s military involvement in Afghanistan and on to what we hope will be more prosperous days ahead.

While Turner is the riding’s most politically-experienced candidate, we believe the outspoken, rebellious, party-be-damned approach he has taken in the last two-and-a-half years will be counter-productive to the team-building environment we think Canadians want from their next government.

Turner, to his credit, has kept in close touch with his constituents through numerous public forums. He hasn’t been afraid to meet his detractors in person.

However, while Turner promises to stand up for his constituents, we’re just not sure where he stands politically.

In the 2006 federal election, he ran successfully for the Conservative Party by bashing the Liberal party.

Two years later, he now speaks glowingly of the Liberal party and reserves his venomous attacks for his Conservative opponent and her party’s leader.

Frankly, it sounds like Turner will say anything to get himself elected.

While Collard, Wagner and Rodrigues seem to all be well-intentioned candidates with some interesting ideas, none have demonstrated the sort of leadership experience Halton Riding residents need in order to be heard in Ottawa.

The Oakville paper has also chosen not to endorse Garth Turner for Halton.

The Burlington paper also snubs Garth in Halton.

So, it looks like all 3 local Halton papers have said "no" to Garth Turner. And its not b/c he's not a "people" guy, but due to his apparent integrity and trust issues.

So, despite who the papers endorse, I say our ABG campaign can roll into Oct. 14th. So, I'll be continuing to heavily scrutinize the Con and NDP over the week and their local candidates. Lisa seems to have more real world experience than Rob, but I'm looking for which of them has a platform best geared to me and my young family in HV. I'll also be continuing to read their media interviews and dig up some of the local Halton debates on YouTube. I have found 1 so far there.

That's not terribly surprising since all three newspapers are owned by the Metroland West Media Group, so obviously they would all be endorsing the same candidate. What is surprising is that MWMG is owned by the guys that own the Toronto Star, so you would expect they would be endorsing a liberal candidate.

Interesting.

I've always wondered whether people denounce or support an editorial opinion / endorsement on criteria beyond whether they agree with the editorial board's view?

Of the people that support or denounce the editorial boards of these local Halton papers, what were your positions in the past election(s) on these? Is your view of the papers' editorial based on your voting preference or out of a view that the media shouldn't be endorsing any candidate?

I think media should refrain from all editorial endorsements. I also think media, even outside its editorial pages, "shape" the news too much as opposed to "report" the news.

That said, like with blogs, polls, and political "reporting", I find editorials interesting at the very least. And this political climate they can't be ignored. As a political junkie and a voracious reader, these editorials are interesting to deconstruct to see if there is a prevailing logic or thread to past editorials. It won't shape my opinion, but just gets added to all my other political reads on the Halton race.